An original potpourri.

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2013)

This is Real Steel, Transformers, Godzilla and your favorite alien invasion action movie, all packed into one. The focus is on the visual effects and battle scenes, there are some interesting sci-fi ideas but minimal attention was devoted to their details, the acting is good, the plot is predictable but engaging and the character development is again minimal but enough (aka optimal).
We are all probably used to stunning effects by now so what makes this one different? I would say its the seamless fusion of so many ideas, Godzilla sized monster aliens and to combat them Transformer sized fight machines guided by humans in co-ordination(like in Real Steel but more intricate). Also unlike many action movies that try too hard to be emotionally deep and end up being miserably melodramatic or shallow, this one hits the sweet spot. Also there is at least something amusing about a metal brute wrestling a bulbous acid throwing flying Godzilla, right?
One disappointment for me was that there was potential for a lot of nice sci-fi conceptual depth but the details were mostly left out unless needed for comprehending the plot and also the acting performances could have been slightly better but Idris Elba was awesome in his role, even his voice was perfect for his dialogues.
On the whole a nice and refreshing movie, if the trailers give you a run of the mill feeling I would still recommend watching it (on the best screen possible), it might surprise you.